Ancient Rome

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

Yes. the Romans had provinces in both Europe and Africa.

The warm bath was at the caldarium, which was a warm air room, with a square-shaped pool with hot water (calida piscina) and a labrum, a round basin with cold water bathers poured on their heads before leaving the room. There was also the iaconicum or sudatorium, which was a very hot sweating room or sauna.

The Via Appia, named after Censor Appius Claudius Caecus, stretched from Rome to Brindisi, the embarkation port for the Greek east.

It signified Rome's roadbuilding activity to support its control of empire, giving rapid access for movement of troops and messengers. This was multiplied by its other roads throughout the empire.

1 loaf of bread cost 2 AS. / Source http://www.ancientcoins.biz/pages/economy/ 1 Denarius = 10 AS / Source http://www.unrv.com/economy/roman-coins.php
1 Denarius = 4 grams of silver
1 AS = .8 grams of silver (4/5)
2 As=1.6 grams of silver.
31.1034 grams = 1 troy ounce
Silver costs $17.27 per ounce (Close Dec. 18, 2009)
Silver costs .555 per gram
.555*1.6= .888


A loaf of bread costs 88 to 89 cents in todays US dollar in the first half of the first century in Ancient Rome.

Depending upon the rank of power, a magistrate could have supreme power in both civil and military matters. For example, they could administer civil law, preside over the courts, command provincial armies, conduct a census, appoint people to the senate, conduct domestic affairs in Rome, have power over the markets and over public games and shows, assist the Consuls in Rome, and the governors in the provinces with financial tasks, represent the people, and safeguard the civil liberties of all Roman citizens.

the roman and greek gods were had human traits such as jealosy anger and things like that so it really just was on if you pissed them off and stuff

After the overthrow of the Tarquin monarchy by Junius Brutus in 509 BC, Rome does not revert back to a monarchy for the rest of its history. The era of the great expansion of Roman power and civilization is the era of the Roman Republic, in which Rome is ruled by its Senate and its assembly, which were institutions formed at the beginning of the monarchy. The history of the Republic is a history of continuous warfare; all of the historical stories which the Romans will use as stories of Roman virtue and values date from this tumultuous period of defense and invasion. The Romans had at the beginning of the Republic a constitution which had laid down the traditions and institutions of government; this constitution, however, was not a formal or even a written document, but rather a series of unwritten traditions and laws. These traditions and laws were based on the institution of a monarchy, so while the Romans did not revive the monarchy, they still invested enormous amounts of power in their officials. At the top were the consuls, who were two patricians elected to the office for one year. These patricians exercised imperium in much the same way the kings had in the Roman monarchy. These consuls initiated legislation, served as the head of the judiciary and the military, and served as chief priests to the nation. They even dressed as monarchs, by wearing purple robes and sitting on the seat traditionally reserved for the monarch: the ivory chair. However, the power of the consuls were severely limited. First, they only served for one year, at which point they would have to be re-elected or enter into private life again. Second, there were two consuls; either consul could effectively prevent any action or decision by the other consul by simply vetoing him. No consul could act without the other consul in agreement. Third, the consuls would have to serve on the Senate after their term in office; this led them to cultivate assiduously the cooperation of the senate. So the consuls exercised absolute power, imperium , but their power was severely hamstrung by the circumstances of their office. As a result, the consuls did not exercise much initiative or creativity, so Roman government tended to be highly conservative and cautious. This, however, was the intent of the consular system. In 325 BC, however, the consul system was changed to allow for proconsuls, who were consuls whose terms in office were extended because of military campaigns. Beneath the consuls were two financial officers called quaestors, and as the Republic evolved, an officical called the praetor was invented. The praetorship was originally a judicial office, but later became a military office; the praetors were essentially the central generals of Rome. The praetorship, like the consulship, was a one-year appointment, but like the consulship could be extended in times of war. In addition, the task of classifying citizens according to wealth and tax status, which was a consular duty, eventually fell to a new pair of officials called censors. It was the job of the censor to draw up the roll of citizens (somewhat like our modern day census; census is the Latin word from which "censor" is derived) and to fix their tax status. As you might imagine, the censors had all kinds of opportunities for bribery and corruption since they were setting tax rates, so after a while the office fell only to the most incorruptible and virtuous men of the Republic: former consuls. Eventually, the office of the censor acquired great powers, such as the power to dismiss senators from the Senate not merely for financial reasons, but any reason at all. By the time of the late Republic, the censors had become some of the most powerful politicians in Rome. It is immediately evident that the imperium was fully concentrated in the hands of the patricians. The consuls were elected from the patrician class, as were the quaestors and the praetors; the censors, by definition, were always patricians. Because the consul reverted to the Senate, the Senate, composed only of patricians, became the principle power in Rome. The Republic in its early form was largely a transfer of power from the monarch to the wealthiest classes in Rome, and this dominance of Roman law, finances, and foreign policy by the patricians instantly produced resentment among the plebeians; from its inception in 509 BC to its demise at the hands of Caesar in the middle of the first century BC, the political history of the Roman Republic is a tumultuous, chaotic, and often violent conflict between the two classes in Rome vying for political power. This conflict was called "the struggle of the orders" (the orders of society) and is largely about the patrician class attempting to hold onto power while the plebeians attempted to achieve social and political equality. The patricians found themselves unable to exist without the plebeians: not only did the plebeians produce the food and supply the labor that kept the Roman economy going, they also supplied the soldiers for the Roman military. If the plebeians could act as a group, they could effectively shut down the Roman economy and military; the latter was especially important since Rome was in continual military conflict during the age of the Republic. In Roman historical tradition, in 494 BC the plebeians withdrew from Rome and occupied the Sacred Mount. There they declared an alternative government. They formed a tribal assembly, modelled after the Roman assembly, which would be headed by tribunes who were heads of their tribes. They declared that these tribunes could veto any decision by a Roman magistrate or official, and could veto any decision or legislation by the Senate. The assembly itself, like the former assembly, voted by tribe, and the decision of the assembly was binding on all plebeians. In other words, the plebeians had won for themselves the right to author their own legislation. Their decisions, however, were not binding on non-plebeians. In 450 BC, the struggle of the orders produced the Law of the Twelve Tables, which simply formalized and codified Roman law and its constitution. The Romans, however, saw it as a victory for the rights of the citizen for it gave them an instrument to know where they stood as far as the law is concerned. In 445 BC, plebeians acquired the right to marry a patrician, and in 367 the plebeians gained the right to be elected consul, when the first plebeian consul was elected. The Licinian-Sextian laws demanded that at least one consul be a plebeian. After the completion of the term of consular office, the consul became a member of the Senate, so the patrician hold on the Senate had, in part, been broken when the plebeians gained full access to the office of the consul. In 300 BC, plebeians were allowed to serve at all levels of the priesthood, thus making them religiously equal to the patricians. Finally, in the greatest victory of all in terms of power and influence, in 287 BC, the decisions and legislation of the plebeian assembly were not only binding on the plebeians, but on the entire Roman citizenry. These reforms were purchased without any civil war or internal bloodshed; they would not resolve the struggle, but they certainly prevented out and out civil war. The Romans, then, reformed their government as the need arose rather than pursuing any particular plan of reform or development. At the same time, the Romans built their territorial power with the same lack of planning and purpose. Originally, the wars which the Republic fought were largely defensive wars; the expulsion of the Tarquins provoked many attacks by their allies and by Etruscans. Soon, however, the Romans were moving to gain control over neighboring territory in order to neutralize the threat of attack. Their logic was that control over these territories would obviate any potential attack from the people occupying those territories and at the same time provide a buffer region between themselves and potential attackers. Roman conquest, then, was pursued largely for Roman security; the end result of this process would be, first, the conquest of the entire Italian peninsula by 265 BC, and then the conquest of the world. The Roman Empire was an accident, so to speak; it was formed in the pursuit of other policies, namely, security. Only in its later stages was the Roman Empire a deliberate objective.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

The consuls' agreement in the ancient Roman government made for smoother running of the government. However, politics being politics, if the consuls did not agree, one could override the other and if that didn't work, one consul in cahoots with a tribune could get his way.

Athenians choose officials by lottery because they believe this system was fairer than an election. In addition, election by lot helped to protect against one person gaining too much power in public office. Juries were chosen by lot on the day of the court case to try and defeat judicial corruption, as it would be difficult to bribe members when you didn't know who was going to be on the jury.

Metellus believes that Cicero's standing, knowledge,and social image will lend respectability to the crime, making it seem reasonable to others. Cicero was an elderly and respected statesman in Rome (although Casca complained about his speaking in Greek). Cassius suggests that the conspirators ought to get Cicero on board, and Metullus agrees, saying that "his silver hairs will purchase us a good opinion and buy men's voices to commend our deeds. It shall be said, his judgment ruled our hands, our youths and wildness shall no whit appear, but all be buried in his gravity." In other words, he would lend credibility to the conspiracy. Brutus, however, nixes the idea, saying that Cicero would "never follow anything that other men begin"

Italian is spoken in Rome today. In ancient Rome Latin was the language.

The Romans found a small settlement of the Parisii in 52 BC and conquered it. They originally named the place Lutetia and it grew into a major Roman town with all the Roman "necessities" such as baths, fora, temples, large houses and an amphitheater.

Rome built many aspects of its culture based on what the Greeks did. Their art was so closely related that historians speak of Greco-Roman art. Architecture also took several examples from Greece. It's worth noting, however, that niether the arch nor the aqueduct came from Greece. The Romans adopted those ideas from the Etruscans. Religion in early Rome basically worshipped the Greek gods under new names. They also developed quite a few philosophies based on Greek philosophy. Earlier teachings led them to come up with stoicism, but that itself is pretty unique to Rome. They also took governmental ideas from the Greeks. It is worth noting that because the Greek city-states were never grouped any closer than the Delian league at the time of the Peloponesian War, every city-state governed itself differently. The Romans adopted democracy from Athens, but changed it to a representative form. Eventually, they evolved into an empire, but also had experience with monarchy, oligarchy and tyranny. One thing that did not pass from Greece to Rome was agriculture. The Greeks raised mainly goats and olives, which were suited to the mountainous terrain on the Peloppenesus. The Romans had the advantage of flat terrain with good soil and water, which allowed for grain to be grown and a wider variety of livestock to be raised.

There was no one religion and the Romans were pretty tolerant. Rome had many people from many places. There were temples in the forum for the gods and goddesses of Rome. There were the women who were the Vestal priestess of Rome who tended the sacred fire of Vesta. The Cult of Mithra was popular among Roman soldiers and Mithraism had tied to Christianity. December 25th was originally Mirthra's birthday. The Pantheon was the temple of the gods has the largest concrete curved dome in existence until the 19th century. The Romans had gods for doors, hinges, and thresholds.

yes it was they drank and used it to put in their fires

Poetry was very widely read, they invented roads, the architecture was nice and every free man had a say in the government.

A villa was nothing but an elaborate farmhouse with (most times) land around it so as to make itself self-supporting. The materials used were identical with the materials used to build in the city-- wood, stone, concrete, bricks, tiles and various types of materials for facing the bricks. The plumbing was of either ceramic or lead pipes, the floors mosaic, and the lane to the door was of paving stones.

The three classes of citizens that made up Roman society were the Patricians, the Plebeians and the Equestrians. There were plenty of other people who were either non-citizens or who were citizens but did not have the wealth to qualify for social mobility. These were the Proletariat. They were the poor, the working class or the middle class, the freedmen and foreigners.

The social structures includes gender roles and relationships, family and kinship, economic and social classes and racial and moral construction.This led to the rise of roman republic.

If they were hired to fight in the arena, they were called gladiators. If they were hired to fight in the army, they were called auxiliaries. If they were hired to fight in the streets, they were called thugs.

Diocletian created four new imperial capitals. He designated Nicomedia (in north-western Turkey) as an imperial capital in the eastern part of the Roman Empire and Milan an imperial capital in the western part of the empire. This was because he created a co-emperorship with his fellow general Maximian. Diocletian took charge if the eastern regions and Maximian took charge of the western ones. Diocletian then designated two further imperial capitals, Augusta Treverorum(modern Trier, in present day Germany) and Sirmium (in present day Serbia). This was because he also appointed two junior emperors (Caesars), Galerius and Constantius Chlorus, who were subordinates of Diocletian and Maximian respectively, who became senior emperors (Augusti). Galerius took charge of the Balkan Peninsulas (except for Thrace) and Constantius took charge of Gaul, Britannia and Hispania. This system was called the tetrarchy (rule by four) which was aimed at improving imperial control over the empire. Rome ceased to be the capital. The new capitals were closer to the frontiers which needed to be defended.

The relative political stability of the Pax Romana helped to integrate the provinces (conquered territories into the Roman Empire, its economy and the imperial ideology.

The Roman currency created an empire-wide means of exchange which helped the development of thriving trading networks throughout the empire. The building on new roads, bridges and ports also helped this. Trade promoted economic and cultural interchange between the peoples of the provinces, their integration into the imperial system and greater cultural homogeneity.

Augustus was very active in promoting trade. He created a framework favourable to it and promoted an increase in agricultural and manufacturing production so that more goods could be traded. The clearest example was Egypt, which became the breadbasket of the empire. Privatization of ownership of land and workshops was promoted to increase production and trade. Canals in disrepair were repaired and new ones were built to increase irrigation and the amount of cultivable land. Taxation was lowered (under the previous regime of the Ptolemies it was too high). Greater monetisation also contributed to an increase in production and trade. The use of coins increased.

.Augustus also promoted trade beyond the empire. Egypt became the base for trade with Ethiopia and the seaborne trade with India via the Red Sea. Syria and Turkey were the endpoint of the Silk Road to China via Persia.

Cyprus and Crete. However Sicily in the west was also mainly Greek.